


The Fall

by Kagemirai



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: M/M, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-03
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2017-12-10 06:13:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/782741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kagemirai/pseuds/Kagemirai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What began with a kidnapping evolved into something far more sinister. Xander thought that everything would be alright, that they only had to worry about one big bad vampire. When Angelus sets his sights on him he knew he was wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginnings

I know I have other projects going on and now that I transferred to Portland State I don't have as much time while I pursue my degree, however this sparked in my mind and wouldn't leave. I'm taking a bit more time with the characters and hopefully this turned out better than previous forays into the Buffy-verse. Let me know what you think.

 

The story starts after the episode 'The Harvest' but before 'Never Kill a Boy on the First Date'.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own or make anything from the writing of this story. I do not bear any rights to the characters herein.

 

Xander hurt. His body felt like one big bruise. His eyes closed as he thought about how he had gotten himself into this mess, hanging from a thick metal beam in the middle of a factory in the industrial side of town. Bait, that's what they had called him, he had been stupid, horribly naive to think that he would be safe. The vamp that grabbed him didn't even try to eat him. He had put up a good fight but he wasn't a super hero and while he had tried to run he just wasn't fast enough and in Sunnydale people had a tendency to ignore their surroundings. So here he was, waiting for a rescue he didn't want because he knew he would have to watch as 'The Master's' minions attacked, maybe even killed his friend.

 He groaned softly, his eyes opening as he heard the door slide open. His vision blurred but he knew that the one who entered was definitely not Buffy, too bulky, too male. The man had dark hair, dark pants, dark coat, and pale skin, the only splash of color was the scarlet of his shirt.

"Not often the old bat strings someone up, not much of a planner. So, I have to wonder, what a little thing like you is doing here." The man, no vampire, spoke, his voice deep and rich.

"More mocking? Come on, get to it, things to do you know. I think I have another shoulder to pull out of its socket." Xander rolled his eyes, spirit unbroken.

The vampire cocked his head to the side, "You're a strange one, you know that?"

Xander refused to look at him as he circled, "You're not too good at the whole mocking thing are you? Usually they start with 'we're going to kill your friend and bathe in her blood'." He snorted, "So, if no more tries at getting a rise out of me, I think you should just toddle along and trip on a stake."

He chuckled softly, sending a shiver up the human's spine, "You've got quite the mouth on you boy. I would take great pleasure in teaching you your place." He pressed against the teen's back, his lips coming close to his ear, "One day you'll crawl on your knees and lick my boots. When that day comes you'll be begging me for attention." His hands gripped bruised hips, wringing a sound from his lips.

"Go screw yourself deadboy." He hissed through clenched teeth.

He laughed at that, long and hard, "Oh, I like you. You're a treat, no one has talked back to me in a long time." He squeezed his hips sharply before pulling back, "I'll be back for you." His voice was like a whispered promise, settling in Xander's gut like a heavy weight.

A thought crossed his mind as the dark vampire walked away, where were the vampires that were supposed to be watching him?

***

 Buffy had managed to rescue him with surprisingly little fanfare. Whatever ease that vampire had come in with seemed to extended to the blonde Slayer as well. He had refused to go to the hospital stating that he would be fine and besides, it wasn't like he had the insurance or money to pay for it. That's how he found himself in Buffy's guest room, her mother taking care of him in a way he couldn't remember his mother doing. Joyce was very understanding, although she had tried to get him to talk to the police.

Everyone had gone to bed when 'it' happened. 'It' being one of the defining moments of his life, his future. Firm tapping drew him out of half sleep. Hs gaze traveled to the window, that vampire was there, a dark smirk on his face.

"He can't get in, he can't get in..." Became Xander's whispered mantra, his eyes locked with the vampire's dark gaze. He sat up slowly, wincing as he moved, "Hey, get out of here before I go get Buffy. Sleepy Slayer equals angry Slayer." He stated, gingerly standing up and slowly going for the door.

"Stop." The command from the open window was firm and quiet, giving the teen pause.

His back stiffened as he slowly turned back toward the window, "What?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I believe a little thanks is in order for your rescue." The vampire leaned against the window frame, waiting patiently.

"Yeah, I already thanked Buffy. So that's been taken care of."

The man laughed, "If not for me you would have gotten to watch that Slayer friend of yours break and bleed." His eyes sparkled with mirth, "Didn't you think it odd that there was no one there to watch you? That no one came after I was gone?"

Of course he had wondered but that didn't mean he was going to admit it, "So? Did you kill them?" He laughed, "Unlikely, all you vampires stick together, you don't kill each other." The laughter died in his throat when he saw the dark smile on the vampire's face, "God, you did, didn't you?" He scowled, "Are you some kind of good vampire? No way, so not possible." He mumbled.

"Go ahead and get your Slayer but remember, it was a vampire that really saved your mortal hide." He ran his fingers along the invisible barrier.

Xander swallowed hard, "What do you want?" His hand moved to rest on the handle as he spoke.

"A simple thank you is all I ask." Xander had a feeling that he really wanted more than just a 'thank you'.

"Thank you. Now go away." He really didn't want to get Buffy, part of him rebelled against the thought of relying on her but part of him was petrified.

"Xander," he tsked softly, "I expect to get a proper thank you next time we meet."

His eyes grew wide, "How do you know my name?" With a final evil smirk he disappeared, "Hey! Evil undead bastard!" He grumbled, sliding down the door, his hand still on the knob.

***

School started bright and early the next day. He got breakfast and a ride to school from Joyce, thankful that his friend had such an understanding mom. She had even made him a lunch. Willow met them at the gate, quickly pulling him into a hug. He winced in pain but held her close.

"Hey Wills." He took a deep breath, strawberries, she smelled of strawberries.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" She scolded, pulling back and punching his arm, "I was worried sick!"

He looked down before smiling at her, "Scouts honor." He laughed when she scowled at him, "Alright, alright, gee, I promise."

She nodded, "Good." She pulled out a notebook, "Here are the notes you missed and I'll help you with math over lunch."

He groaned, following the girls into school, "Why me?"

Buffy smirked, "Don't worry, at least you're not taking French."

He looped an arm around her shoulders, "Too true, too true."

Lunch came too soon for his liking, especially for such a beautiful day to be ruined with trig. At least his lunch was good. He paused mid-bite, Giles was walking hurriedly toward them, a thick book in his hands.

"Hey G-man, what brings you out of the stacks?" He laid his food aside, bringing the girls' attention to the librarian.

"Xander, don't call me that." He stated almost absently as he put the book down on the picnic table in front of Buffy, "I believe we have a problem."

"What's this?" She questioned, looking down at the book.

Xander and Willow moved to look over her shoulder as Giles spoke, "When you rescued Xander, did you encounter any resistance?"

She shook her head, "Nope, it was kind of weird, no one was there."

Giles turned to Xander, "Did anything strange happen before Buffy came?"

"Does being mocked by a vampire count? The guards kind of disappeared."

"It is just as I feared. I'm afraid The Master might not be our only problem. The translation of a prophecy has spoken about the arrival of a new vampire who will bring chaos in his wake and will break the world."

Buffy shrugged, "So, we find this vampire and I kill him. Sounds easy enough to me."

 They had heard this before, prophecies were made and broken, there was always a work around but Buffy didn't want to think about what would happen if she failed. Xander felt that weight in his stomach again, that same one he felt when the vampire spoke to him.

"Break the world, what does that mean?" He asked, his gaze on the book.

"I don't know, it could mean a variety of things. It could mean the end of the world or it could be much smaller, a person's world, we can't know for sure." Giles responded.

"So why am I looking at this book? It's not in English and I'm pretty sure it's not a picture book." Buffy said, looking from the book to Giles.

"For the picture." He stated, "I believe that is the vampire we're looking for, Angelus, the demon with the face of an angel." He stated, pointing to a small drawing.

"Oh." Her attention was drawn to the man portrayed, "Wow, he's hot."

Giles sighed, "Buffy, now is not the time to be thinking about such things."

"Just because he's the evil undead doesn't mean I can't appreciate him." She pouted, "This the guy you saw?"

"Yep, he's got shorter hair but definitely him."

"Great, I'll go see if I can find him tonight." She sounded happy to have a specific goal, something other than the looming threat of The Master.

"Want some company?" Xander asked, definitely not wanting to go home that night.

"Sure! Willow, you want to come too? The three of us can go get some ice cream and patrol together." Giles looked like he wanted to disagree with her.

"Alright." Willow smiled, "Xander and I can watch your back, it'll be fun."

"I hardly think patrolling will be fun." Giles stated, giving the three teenagers an incredulous look.

With the ringing of the bell they headed off to class, discussing a plan for that night as they went. The sun set below the horizon, the moon rising as a harbinger of night, and the three teens made their way into the cemetery as though they were going on a casual midnight stroll. Giles had voiced his opinions on Xander and Willow accompanying her but had been promptly shot down. They were a team and would be careful, besides, Buffy felt safer with them.

"Truth or dare." Willow stated, looking at Xander.

"Hey! Why are you asking me? No way, I'm not playing." He crossed his arms over his chest, "It's a girls game."

"You used to play it!" She pouted, mimicking his position.

"Let's play something else..." Xander started, only to be promptly interrupted.

"Yes, I have a game for you. Let's play hide and seek." The voice was dark, sending a chill down Xander's spine, "I'll give you a head start." It was that vampire, Angelus.

"Why don't you hide and we'll seek?" Buffy questioned, the three of them turning to face him.

He was dressed the same way Xander had last seen him, same coat, same shirt, and there was that dread in the pit of his stomach again. Angelus laughed, smirking darkly at them, his eyes looking at each of them in turn.

"Nothing more to say? Last I saw you weren't too good with the taunting. I can see it's a continued trait." Xander bounced on the balls of his feet, "I mean, come on, you are so outnumbered."

He laughed, "Yes, outnumbered, one who was caught by The Master's minions, one who is an obvious bookworm, and lastly the Slayer, who by my count is rushing toward death, not many last this long." His eyes narrowed slightly, "I'm shaking in my boots." He mocked.

Buffy nearly growled, eyes dark with anger, "Well, why don't we see what happens?" She dropped into a fighting stance.

"I can play, Slayer, plenty of time to play with you and grab a meal to go." He leered at Xander and Willow.

They lashed out, meeting each other head on. Xander and Willow stood to the side, Xander looking for an opening while Willow shifted nervously. Angelus' fist connected with her chin, his knee driving into her stomach, forcing her back. She drove through it, her body slamming into his torso as she was doubled over. He grunted, twisting away to land a strike to her back. She hit the ground hard, rolling away from his foot as he brought it down hard. Her foot whipped out to strike the back of his knee. He fell forward, using his momentum to avoid her stake.

"You're fun." He laughed, "I haven't played with a Slayer like this in a long time."

She panted softly, "Glad you're having fun."

He stood, not appearing phased at all by the fight, "I suppose I'll have to hold off on the take out tonight." His eyes lingered on Xander for a moment, "But don't think for a moment that I'm finished with you. We have plenty more games to play."

Buffy growled as he turned away from her. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she launched herself at him. Angelus moved smoothly, catching her mid leap and tossing her into a nearby headstone. In a flash of movement the vampire had grabbed Xander by the throat, pulling him tight to his body.

"I take it back, I'm going to have take out after all." Xander's struggles were ineffectual as Angelus held him tight.

Buffy lay unmoving as Angelus began to haul the teen away. Willow moved quickly, grabbing Xander's arm and trying to pull him away. The vampire growled, lashing out at the red head, barely keeping hold of Xander as he continued to struggle.

"Help Buffy!" He squirmed, his gaze locked on Willow, "Go!" He knew that she couldn't help him, not really.

He slammed his elbow back, finally getting a reaction from the vampire, "Hold still." Angelus growled, grunting as Xander struck him again.

Angelus pulled him away, allowing Xander one last look at the two girls. One last look as Willow tried to rouse the Slayer before the vampire struck him hard, thrusting him into darkness.

***

Angelus felt profoundly pleased. Although this Slayer was tougher than the last one he faced she was reckless, naive. She didn't have the experience but she had friends and a family, something he didn't commonly face. He had one of those friends in his grasp but he wasn't sure what he was going to do with him. He had found the Slayer by chance. He was out on a hunt, usually he avoided the cemeteries but when he spotted the boy from the Master's failed ambush he had to follow. Imagine his surprise when he found the Slayer as well and she didn't even notice him until he spoke. She had the potential to be a problem but what he had said was true, Slayers eventually rushed to death, wanted to die, and this one would be no different. He hadn't been around for more than 200 years to fall to a teenage girl, he had no intention of becoming like his sire. Dear Darla had been lost fifty years ago, she had been foolish. For all her long life she had a moment of stupidity, of feeling invulnerable. It had been a wakeup call for Angelus. He had felt the same way, indestructible, then that Slayer had come and taken her away. It had been William, Spike, that had ultimately killed the Slayer. Her loss had driven Angelus into a rage before going off on his own, leaving William and Drusilla, his childer, alone. He hoped that they understood. Getting away had been a very cathartic experience and he could finally say he was ready to move on. He had just the thing to move on to, the young brunette he had stashed in his bed. The boy had such fire in him, when he had found him hanging in that factory he knew that he would be great fun to break, to play with. The initial reason for him to go there was to do a little taunting. He didn't much like his grandsire, never had, so when he met with the minions he wasn't surprised that they attempted to top him. What was a surprise was the spit fire young man. After leaving he immediately went after information on the boy. Learning his name from one minion and his status as one of the Slayer's friends from another, he felt confident that he would find the boy with the Slayer after his ordeal. Now he had him, stolen the fire from the Slayer.

As his thoughts wandered his feet carried him to his room, to his bed, and to his boy. He lingered by the door for only a moment before moving inside. Xander was still unconscious, resting on silk sheets. The Slayer wouldn't find him, no one would have thought to find a vampire renting an apartment. He smirked, his fingers reaching down and running his fingers through the longer hair, giving Xander the look of a scrappy puppy in Angelus' mind.

"Wake up." He purred, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Xander groaned softly, eyes fluttering as the bed shifted, "Huh?" He reached up, rubbing his eyes slowly before blinking, his gaze turning to Angelus.

"Don't move." Angelus' voice was deep and low, commanding, Xander stilled immediately, "Good boy. Now, we have to have a little talk about the nature of things. While I speak, you will remain silent and listen closely to what I say. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I understand." He said angrily.

"Good. Now then, you are in my control for the moment and it is highly unlikely that the Slayer will be able to find you. So, while you are here you will do as I say. If you do, I can be very gentle and you will remain unharmed. If you do not, I will punish you. You'll be fed, taken care of, all you have to do is what you're told." He stated, his fingers continued to run through the human's hair, a part of him was surprised the boy didn't move an inch.

"And what do you want from me? If you don't want Buffy to find me, what do you want?"

The boy was smart, perhaps not book smart but he saw the big picture, "For the moment, I want to amuse myself. Having you here will entertain me. So long as you entertain me I won't go find amusement elsewhere."

"You won't hurt Buffy or Willow?" His voice was soft, unsure.

"Do what I say, entertain me and I'll have no reason to."

Xander's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, "Alright, I'll do what you want?"

Angelus smirked darkly, "Excellent!" He chuckled as Xander swallowed again, "First lesson, you remain here, no trying to escape, no running off. Your job is to be available to me whenever I please."

"I hope Buffy stakes you." He mumbled, dark eyes narrowed at the vampire.

Angelus chuckled lowly, "Don't lose that fire, it makes you so much fun." He stood, looking down at him, "You'll know what all I want from you when the time comes." He patted him on the head, "Go wash up." He pointed to a door, "Throw your clothes out here."

Xander glared at him but stood, moving into the bathroom. He stripped slowly, tossing them against the door. Once he was naked he moved to the door, using it as a shield, he nudged them out. The first spout of water from the tap was dirty, the pipes hadn't been used in a long time. Once it was clear and warm he got in under the spray. Slowly, he began to relax, letting the water wash away the stress. He stayed under the spray until Angelus called for him, his voice breaking through the silence.

"Hurry up, you've been in there long enough!"

Xander peaked out from behind the curtain, looking for a towel, "There's no towel!" He shouted back.

"I have one, get out here!" He sounded exasperated.

He moved slowly, the air making him shiver, but he didn't want to go out there naked. The moment the door opened a towel was tossed at him. He grabbed it, wrapping it around his waist quickly.

"Where are my clothes?" He asked, glaring at the vampire.

"They've been disposed of, your rule of the day is that you will only wear what I provide for you." He grinned, showing his teeth, "And right now, I want you wearing nothing at all."

There was that fire again. Angelus' grin didn't falter as the teen's hands clenched and unclenched. He remained silent, waiting for Xander to snap. He didn't have to wait long. The teen launched himself at the vampire. He moved easily, tearing the towel from his waist and grabbed his arm, twisting so he was bent forward.

"What happened to doing as told?" He asked, jerking slightly on his arm, wringing a soft grunt from his lips.

"It went out the window the moment you said I had to run around naked." He hissed, keeping still so Angelus wouldn't break his arm.

He chuckled darkly, "Since I find your struggles amusing I won't go find your friends...yet, however you're trying my patience. If you want to eat tonight you'll bide your time and not fight me on this." He paused, looking him over slowly, "It's not like you have anything I haven't seen before."

"Let me go." He growled, "Evil undead perv."

Angelus released his arm , pushing him away, "Take a seat." He motioned to a simple wooden chair in the middle of the room. Xander let out a snort but slowly sat down, "Good boy." He slowly began to circle the teen, who, to his credit, didn't turn to follow him, kept staring forward, "You want to protect, to defend those you care about. You're loyal, to a fault really, but there's this darkness to you as well." He trailed his fingers over his shoulders, "This delicious darkness, like chocolate, deep and rich."

"You're delusional." He grumbled, "So what does this have to do with what you want?"

"Everything, my little spitfire. Your loyalty, your spirit, and lastly, your darkness." He purred, leaning down behind him, lips to his ear, "I want it all." His voice was a low, sultry purr.

Angelus watched as his hands clenched, teeth grinding together, jaw tight. He pulled back and circled him again, loving to know that he did that, that he brought forth that reaction. He was impressed that he didn't move, didn't launch himself at the vampire.

"Going to tell me your whole plan? Are you a James Bond villain now?" He bit out through clenched teeth.

A quick cuff upside the head brought a tirade of curse words from the teen, "Hush brat, let me continue." He continued his path around, "I am not going to tell you my plans, just know that in the end I will have you, all of you."

***

 Xander was petrified, to be told that Angelus wanted him, was determined to have him. What scarred him the most was the thought of what Angelus would do to get him. How was he going to get out of this? His thoughts whirled in a jumbled mess. Angelus had bound him to that chair, fed him by hand, and left him there for the day. Left him with his thoughts, thoughts that were currently adding to his nervousness and fear. He was sure that was Angelus' plan, but that knowledge didn't change the fact that he was petrified. What would happen if Buffy couldn't find him? Would Angelus get what he wanted? Would he be broken? He couldn't let his thoughts spiral out of control, that would be letting Angelus win. He had to stay strong. Strong for Buffy, strong for Willow, he could do this. He could picture Willow's resolve face, that alone gave him strength. Strength enough to come up with some great scathing remarks.

The moment Angelus came into view he opened his mouth, "Hey, deadboy, didn't think I would be your type, I mean with the lack of curves and all that. Thought you would be more into the ladies." He shrugged as best he could, "But hey, no judging."

He thought he saw a flash of gold in those dark eyes before a smirk slipped across his lips, "And what does that say about you? For you to be acceptable enough to be my bitch? I bet I can have you writhing beneath me, begging for me before the night is through." As he spoke he approached the bound teen, "What do you say?"

"I say eww. Like I'm going to let you do anything to me. Come on, I'm never going to beg you." He stated firmly, "Not really the begging type."

His fingers moved slowly, tracing his features, his touch was feather light, skimming over his skin. Xander barely managed to hold back a gasp, he didn't expect gentleness. Angelus smirked, sliding down his neck, splaying his hand on his chest, feeling Xander's heart speed up. It took all of his willpower not to make a sound, the teen was petrified. The vampire was so sure of himself and it was beginning to feel like he was everywhere at once. His hands clenched into fists, refusing to attack the vampire, reigning in his impulsive nature. It became more difficult when Angelus' fingers closed on his left nipple, rolling it slowly. Xander bit his lip, hard, drawing blood. Angelus purred, leaning in, lapping up the blood slowly, moving to the other nipple, tweaking and rolling it. A gasp escaped his lips, and the vampire took the invitation, sliding his tongue into his mouth. Xander's eyes grew wide, squirming, pushing at him. Angelus growled, his fingers going into Xander's hair, jerking back hard, forcing the teen's mouth to stay open. He pulled away slowly, giving Xander's wounded lip one final lick before surveying his work. Flushed cheeks, labored breathing, and a stirring in his groin, Xander was horrified by his body's reaction.

"Bastard." He gasped, trying to suck in more air.

"Ever been kissed like that before?" He questioned, petting through his hair.

He hadn't, not that he was going to tell him that. He felt violated, his first kiss had been stolen, by the evil undead. He glared at him, eyes narrowed, holding back his tears.

"You taste like a virgin, let's see what other firsts I can take from you." He pulled Xander to his feet, dragging him to the bedroom.

 He squirmed, "Let me go." His voice came out as a whisper.

"Let me think about it." He pressed him to the bed, hooking a pair of handcuffs around a rung on the headboard, "No." He laughed, snapping them around Xander's wrists, sliding his hands down his arms, his torso, "Well, what's this?" He rubbed his hips, eyes on the half hard length in front of him.

"Rhetorical question I hope, although you could be an idiot." Xander bit out, teeth clenched.

Angelus' reaction was not unexpected but the slap to his hip hurt and the comment didn't deter those damn vampire hands as one of them wrapped around his length. He let out a low cry, not able to stop the twitch that his length gave off at the cool hand squeezing his length.

"Feel good?" Angelus questioned, "Of course it does." He rolled his hand up the teen's cock, the unbidden whimper was music to his ears, "You love this. Someone else touching you, making you feel good. You can't even move, can't stop me, all you can do is lay there and feel everything." His voice was lowered to a seductive whisper, lips pressed to the shell of his ear.

Xander jerked up, attempting to head butt his tormentor. The vampire reared back, barely avoiding the strike. He hissed lowly, squeezing him sharply, and Xander screamed, loud and long. He tried to curl in on himself, tears running down his cheeks, but Angelus didn't relent, his grip never wavering.

"I was trying to be nice but you didn't cooperate and for that you must be punished." He pulled back, watching Xander pull his legs up, hiding himself.

He flipped him over easily, pinning him flat on his stomach with one hand firmly on his lower back. Without a word he brought his free hand down, beginning to spank him. Each strike got progressively harder and with each fresh strike a soft cry escaped the teen's lips. Each cry grew in volume until he was sobbing and crying, unintelligible words flowed from his lips. Finally he stopped, pulling back and looking down at him, examining the cherry red ass and thighs.

"I'm going to leave you here to think about what you've done. When I get back I hope you'll be more amenable." He turned away, leaving the room without a backward glance.

Xander hurt, not just physically but his pride was wounded too. He had just been spanked like a recalcitrant child. It wasn't fair. He didn't want to be touched, didn't want to feel the vampire's touch. Of course he was going to react, although he had tried not to. It was all his fault, that vampire, he hoped Buffy would find him and stake him. He could accept not being found so long as Angelus was dust. Dust, dust in the wind, that's all he should be is dust in the wind. He turned his head to bury it in a pillow, picturing the look that would be on the vampire's face as he dissolved into nothing. It filled him with a perverse pleasure as he imagined driving the stake in himself.

"You'll get yours." He growled into the pillow, "And I so want to be there to see it."

***

Angelus wasn't pleased, not in the least. Sure, he had the boy but that attitude of his just rubbed him the wrong way. He liked spirit and fire but at the right times. The initial courting was generally done from a distance, with that distance the fire was more manageable. He had forgotten what it was like to have someone in his grasp that fought like this. He usually waited, learned to play them, before taking them to his bed, before shaping them, molding them into perfection. Now he was doing things out of order, he had his prize in his bed but hadn't seduced him. He would have to modify his tactics in order to break the boy to his will. He would be broken, Angelus would have him reformed according to his wishes. Appealing to his sensibilities had barely made an impact, threatening his friends worked initially, until he gave into his impulses or was overcome by them. Making him cry, hurting him, it wouldn't do much good. He didn't want the boy to resent him, he wanted to be relied on, to be his whole world.

A soft sigh escaped his lips, "I didn't even have this much trouble with Penn." He grumbled, looking around for someone to snack on.

He smiled at a young brunette woman, she stumbled slightly as he approached, jumping slightly as she spotted him, "Hi." She smiled, laughing softly.

His smile didn't waver, "Are you alright? It looks like you could use a hand."

She giggled softly, falling into him, "That would be wonderful." She purred, smiling sweetly.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, "Where do you live?" He asked, fingers rubbing her shoulder.

She pressed closer, "How about we go to your place?"

He smirked, this was going to work out well, "Sure."

He led her home, helping the stumbling woman to walk straight, holding her close to his side. He pressed his lips against her ear, nibbling softly. She moaned softly, pressing against him, rocking her hips slightly, her fingers going into his hair. He chuckled softly, opening the door, pressing her inside, his lips pressing hungrily against hers. Easily he pressed her to the couch, hovering over her. She panted up at him, fingers sliding up his arms. He brought his fingers to her throat, sliding down her skin, over the swell of her breasts.

"Gorgeous." He purred, gripping the neck of her shirt and pulling, tearing it in half, "Going to make you scream." He pinned her hips with his, gazed into her fear filled eyes. He let his face shift, licking his fangs, "Scream for me." He growled, laughing as she began to struggle, letting out a shrill scream.

She writhed, lashing out at him. He grabbed her wrists, pinning them to the arm of the couch. Grasping her wrists firmly in one hand he used the other to push her skirt up before freeing himself.

"No! Let me go!" She cried, jerking in his grasp.

"Hush girl, you're going to enjoy this." He jerked his hips forward, driving himself into her.

She cried out loudly as he brought his lips to her throat, the ridges on his face rubbing against her cheek. He knew the moment she had given up, when she began to participate, and it was that moment when he drove his fangs deep into her throat. Her blood was spiced with pleasure and fear, the alcohol she had consumed giving it an intoxicating quality. He moaned into her throat, crushing her against his body, her eyes fluttered closed he pressed in a final time, tearing into his own wrist and pressing it to her lips.

"A little blood and you're mine." He whispered into the dead girl's ear, pulling back and straightening his clothes.

He scooped her up, heading out to toss her body. She would come crawling back to him in a few days time. He laid her out in a nearby alley, it was always fun for him when the police came by asking questions. He loved the challenge it posed but most of all he loved the eventual bloodshed. Of all the times he had done this, without fail there was always one officer who didn't have a good enough sense of self preservation to stop asking questions. It never ceased to surprise him how many humans were lacking in self preservation. The moment he got back inside he wished he hadn't. Xander was cursing up a storm, he was thankful that he had paid extra for soundproofing. With quick movements he found himself at the side of his bed, the scent of blood was strong in the air. It appeared as though his boy had cut himself while struggling with the handcuffs.

"Silence!" His voice was raised, filled the room.

Xander's eyes grew wide, his mouth snapping shut instantly, staring up at the vampire. Angelus reached down slowly, his fingers brushing through the blood, looking at the crimson liquid staining his fingers. After a long pause he brought it to his lips, his tongue flicking out to taste.

"I heard her." Xander broke the silence, his voice barely a whisper, "I heard what you did to her."

"So you tried to tear through your wrists? To rip your hands off?" The vampire raised a dark eyebrow, "How does that make sense?"

"I wanted to help her! You were hurting her! Why didn't anyone come to help?" His voice grew softer as he spoke.

He chuckled, "Soundproofing, no one could hear her scream and no one will hear you scream either." He leaned forward as he spoke, his lips and tongue finding the wound, lapping at the ragged gash, "Worry not, she will rise again, although the Slayer might get her first before she comes back."

Xander shuddered as that wicked tongue touched and massaged the wounds. Angelus finally pulled back, licking his lips. The teen shuddered, laying limp against the sheets.

"Bastard." There was no heat in his words.

He smirked, patting him on the head, "Whatever you say. For now, go to sleep, you can fight me more tomorrow."

"Patronizing bastard." He mumbled, eyes drifting closed.

***

_Teenager Murdered._ Willow sighed at the headline. Death in Sunnydale wasn't that unusual, it being the front page headline was. If it had been anyone else, if it hadn't been the great Cordelia Chase, it wouldn't have been front page news. Xander was still missing, where was the article about that? Her best friend was gone. She had lost Jesse and now Xander was gone too. Cordelia had never been nice to her but she didn't deserve to die. She looked back at the article, no arrests, no signs of who did it to her. She tossed it aside. Buffy sat beside her, looking exhausted. She flopped forward with a groan, her head hitting the desk.

"What's this?" She asked, her head on the paper.

"Cordelia was killed last night." Willow said softly, "Nothing in the paper about Xander or Jesse." Her voice raised in anger, "It's like they don't even exist but something happens to the great Cordelia Chase and it makes the front page!"

Buffy sat up, looking at Willow in surprise, "Wow." She whispered, surprised that soft spoken Willow had raised her voice, "We'll find him Wills. I promise, we'll get him back."

Tears welled up in her eyes, hugging the blonde tightly, "He's been my best friend since forever, I can't lose him." She sniffed, burying her head in her shoulder.

Buffy hugged her close, petting her hair, "We'll find him."

***

Buffy waited, albeit not very patiently, she waited by Cordelia's grave. Cause of death hadn't been released but she knew that the teen would rise again. She had never tried to get information from a new vampire before but she was doing it for Willow. Cordelia would know how to find her sire and she hoped that sire was Angelus. So she waited, sitting on a nearby headstone and watching the grave. Three nights, she had waited three nights so far. The time varied for how long it took them to rise and it seemed like Cordelia was a late riser. The ground shifted, drawing the Slayer's attention. She watched intently as Cordelia emerged from the ground, her hands and clothes stained with dirt. Her game face was in place, golden eyes settling on the Slayer.

"Hi Cordelia." She said softly, "We need to have a little talk."

The vampire eyed her, the demon knowing instinctually that Buffy was the Slayer, "What do you want, Slayer?"

The blonde smirked, "Old demon, been here before?" She questioned, "Where's your sire?" She read, she knew what happened with a new vampire even though she liked to play dumb.

"What do I get if I tell you?" Cordelia looked at her warily.

"How about I let you live for now. You take me to your sire and I let you go on your merry way."

She looked thoughtful, "Deal." She started walking, back straight, head held high, "What do you want with him anyway?"

"None of your business." She glared at the vampire, walking a bit behind her.

"Here we are." She stopped, pointing to an apartment building, "Number 17. Now if you'll excuse me I'll be on my way." She brushed past the Slayer, heading into the darkness.

Buffy didn't move, staring at the building, "Damn." She would have never thought to look here.

Without a word she approached, wondering if she should knock or just kick the door down. She stood before the door, hand poised to knock. There was no peep hole, which meant he wouldn't be able to see her. As her hand descended to knock she pulled a stake out, ready for him. Three times, the knock rang out around her in the small entryway. As the door began to open she pushed hard, sending the door into the apartment. She pressed forward, launching herself, landing in a straddle around his waist. Angelus growled beneath her, looking at the stake poised over his chest.

"Hello Slayer." He purred, smirking at her, "I take it the new minion led you here? She wasn't too bright but definitely fun."

"Where's Xander?" She pressed the point against him.

He hissed softly, "The boy?" He smirked, "He's around."

She glared at him, "Where...is...he?" Each word was punctuated by a press of the stake.

A scream echoed through the room, causing her to jerk back, giving him the opportunity to act. He moved swiftly, knocking the stake out of her hand. She reacted, barely keeping him pinned. He laughed up at her, eyes filled with dark mirth.

"He screams so beautifully. I haven't had someone who screams and cries like he does in a long time." He purred lowly, pressing up against her.

"You're sick." Her face twisted in disgust, "Xander!" She shouted.

Angelus laughed, bucking up against her, "He can't hear you." He sing-songed, "Perhaps if you get off me I'll take you to him."

Buffy glared down at him, "Why can't he hear me?"

"We're doing a little test with sensory deprivation." He smirked.

***

He screamed, at least he thought he was screaming. Sight, sound, he couldn't even move from where Angelus had bound him. Soft bindings, no pain, he couldn't even hear himself think. He had awoken to the sound of Angelus humming. An experiment, he had said they were going to try something. When the hand cuffs had been removed and something gentle put in its place he had asked what kind. There was no answer until his vision had been sealed away. To see how long you fare, came the reply and then all was silent. He didn't know how long it had been, he tried counting but he couldn't hear the words. Angelus was gone, or at least he hoped he was gone. The scream had been more for the novelty of it. He felt the vibrations, knew he was making sound but he heard nothing.

A soft whimper escaped his lips as his eyes were flooded with light, a blonde halo slowly came into focus. His lips moved to form her name, Buffy. He watched her face light up, knew she heard him. Her fingers worked quickly, uncovering his ears before moving to his wrists.

"Buffy, where is he?" His voice sounded odd to his ears.

"Locked in the bathroom, best I could do. We have to get you out of here." Her fingers fumbled at the knots, "I don't think it will hold him for long. Damn." She jerked the knot, unable to undo it.

"There's a knife in the nightstand." He motioned toward it with his head. He yelped as she grabbed the knife, seeing Angelus standing there, "Shit."

"Drop the knife, Slayer." He growled, his body filling the door.

Slowly he began to move forward as she cut one of Xander's wrists free, handing him the knife. Xander fumbled with it, getting a grip before freeing his other hand. The vampire and Slayer faced each other head on, giving Xander enough time to free himself the rest of the way. He scrambled off the bed, grabbing Angelus' trench coat as he got to his feet. The vampire roared, tossing her over the bed and into Xander, golden eyes flashing.

"Not letting you leave, boy." He stated, barring the door.

They were cornered, Angelus filled the door, leaving no space for either of them to get out. The vampire's eyes were filled with gold, teeth bared angrily. Xander crouched low behind the bed with Buffy. It was obvious that the vampire wanted him but what about Buffy? He stood slowly, holding the coat tight around himself, looking at Angelus in defiance.

"Let her go." He was surprised that his voice didn't shake, he held his head high, "Let her go and I'll stay."

Buffy looked at him, eyes wide, "Xander, no." She hissed, grabbing his arm.

He pulled his arm away, "Please, let her go." He pleaded with him, moving forward slowly.

Angelus raised an eyebrow, "You've disobeyed me before, why should I believe you now?" He didn't move from his place in the door.

He swallowed hard, "Because this time I merely said I would stay, not that I would obey you or anything else. I'll stay if you let her leave."

Xander came closer, just barely out of reach, "Come closer and once I have you in my grasp she can go." He stated, eyes locked on the brunette. He took that final step, the vampire lashing out and grasping him by the throat, pulling him to his chest, "Go, he's paid your way out. Normally I wouldn't let the Slayer just leave but I have what I want, so go, before I change my mind." He moved to the side, holding Xander tight to his chest, waiting for the Slayer to go past him.

Buffy moved slowly, eyes locked on Xander as she passed the pair, heading for the door, "Go." Xander said firmly, seeing her desire to stop, watching her hesitate. She took a deep breath and went out the door, "What now?" He questioned, tense against his captor.

"Now, we leave. I can't keep you here with the Slayer knowing of this location. So it's time to move on." He paused, looking him over, "Get dressed." He pushed him into the bedroom, "You can't be running around wearing my coat."

***

Angelus pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt, tossing them to the teen. He watched intently as he shucked his coat, dressing in clothes that were too big for him. Angelus snagged the coat, slipping it on before looking around, seeing if there was anything he really wanted to take with him. Nothing was irreplaceable, he left the past behind often enough. He caught Xander by the arm, pushing him down and putting socks and shoes in his hand while he got his own. Once they were fully dressed Angelus took his arm, leading him outside into the night. The vampire wasn't sure where  he was going to go, he wasn't even sure he wanted to stay in Sunnydale. No, he wanted to stay, if he left it would ruin his fun. Taunting the Slayer, struggling with Xander's desire for release, that's where the real fun was, not in taking him to another state or country where there was no one to appreciate his hard work. There had to be a place to lay low, where he could work on his project while avoiding the Slayer, perhaps even make her think he had left town. She only needed to think that for Xander's initial breaking, after that it wouldn't matter where Xander was, he would belong to him. The Master was around, he didn't like his grandsire but it was an option, Buffy would never think to look there but then again he didn't want to play the role of some simpering lackey. A soft sigh escaped his lips as his eyes scanned for possible threats and a possible place to live.

"Where are we going?" Xander's voice broke the silence, startling him.

"I haven't decided yet." He growled, "I didn't plan for this, minions don't commonly sell out their creators."

Xander snickered, internally laughing at his captor, "Life's a bitch or, well, unlife I guess."

Angelus whirled, his hand wrapping around Xander's throat, cutting off a surprised yelp, "You will obey me and you will keep your mouth shut lest I find something more interesting for it to do." His eyes bled into gold, the demon pushing at the human façade, "Understand?" When Xander nodded Angelus released his throat, "Good."

He continued walking, Xander following close behind, keeping his mouth shut like he was told. The sun would be up soon and he still had no idea what they were going to do. There were a few abandoned warehouses down by the docks, however there wasn't enough time to get there before the sun rose, that left his grandsire as the closest option. He growled softly, grabbing Xander's arm and pulling him in the other direction. The teen glared at him but remained silent, at least until he was pulled into the cemetery.

"Oh, hell no, I'm not going here, not again." The teen tried to pull his arm away, remembering what happened with Jesse and Willow.

"Shut up, you'll just have to deal with it." He tugged on his arm, pulling him into a mausoleum, "One, two, three..." He trailed off, running his fingers along the far wall.

It took a moment for him to find what he was looking for, his index finger sank into a depression. He pushed hard, the wall sliding open. Xander barely held in a yip, pulling away from the wall. Angelus pulled him through, not giving him a chance to resist as they moved into the darkness. Xander pressed himself close to the vampire, not liking the darkness they were moving into. Angelus smirked, glad the teen couldn't see, he was quite pleased by Xander's reaction, the way he sought the vampire for safety. Slowly the tunnel began to grow light, the glow of candles flickered and danced along the walls. Angelus closed his eyes for a moment before stepping forward, entering the large candle lit cavern. He kept the human by his side, gazing into the shadows, waiting.

"Angelus, what an unexpected surprise." The voice was soft, had a strange almost lisp to it that Angelus knew was from the perpetual visibility of fangs.

"I hope it isn't too unpleasant to see me again, I'd hate to be a burden." He smirked as the Master slowly stepped out of the shadows, "I realize we've been...estranged, to put it mildly."

"Indeed, so what brings the return of the prodigal son?" His gaze turned to Xander, "With the Slayer's boy no less."

"Had a bit of a run in and had to move. If I had another choice I wouldn't have darkened your doorstep. As for the boy, he's mine, I have something planned for him." Angelus held Xander close to his side.

"So you come to me seeking shelter from the sun?" He laughed darkly, "What do you intend to give me in return?"

The younger vampire growled softly, "I'd be willing to do a task for you, something your lowly minions wouldn't be able to. In return, my boy is left alone and we gain a day of shelter."

"Hmm, very well, I have just the task in mind." He waved his hand dismissively, "I'm sure you can find a place to rest. Once you are settled come speak with me and I shall tell you your task."

Angelus nodded, keeping hold of his arm and pulling him out of the room, "That went better than I expected, now let's hope that he doesn't try to send me to my death." The found a small area with only one entrance that Angelus deemed 'habitable', shoving Xander in against the wall, "Be a good boy and stay put, I'll be back." He stated firmly, turning and walking back to the Master, "So, what's the job?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

He ran a finger down the spine of a thick black book, the long nail scratching the binding before opening it, "And there will be a time of crisis, of worlds hanging in the balance. And in this time shall come the Anointed, the Master's great warrior. And the Slayer will not know him, will not stop him, and he will lead her into Hell." He read aloud, "As it is written, so shall it be. Five will die, and from their ashes the Anointed shall rise. The Brethren of Aurelius shall greet him and usher him to his immortal destiny. As it is written, so shall it be."

The younger vampire raised an eyebrow, "Is this another of your prophecies?"

"The Brethren of Aurelius will accompany you, I want you to make sure they succeed."

He sighed softly, "When?"

"Tonight, the Brethren will be waiting for you."

"Alright, I'll make sure that all goes smoothly then we'll be on our way." He turned, heading back to Xander, not looking forward to going out with the Brethren. Xander was exactly where he'd left him, "Get some rest boy, you'll be staying here while I go out tonight. When I get back we will find a new place to stay."

***

Her fingers closed tightly on his favorite shirt, green eyes filled with tears. Sunnydale was a place of loss, she knew this, everyone knew it although it was never acknowledged. She clenched her eyes closed, feeling the salty drops spill from her eyes. One deep shaky breath before she opened them, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked tired, her red hair was a mess, black rings sat beneath her eyes, and once bright green eyes were dull with sorrow. Willow Rosenberg was heartbroken. When Buffy had returned without Xander she had fallen into depression, part of her believing she had lost her Xander. Without the boys she had tried to push away from Buffy as well. The blonde Slayer had pushed back, refusing to let her fall deeper into depression. She was thankful, Giles had been a huge help as well. While others preferred to ignore the missing and the dead they stood with her, holding Jesse's memory close and continuing the search for Xander. There was a problem though and Willow knew it was only a matter of time before the hunt for Xander had to be put on hold because of the coming prophecy. The Anointed One was coming and she wouldn't let Buffy be taken from her as well, not by anyone and especially not by the vampires who had taken two of her friends already.

"Wills?" She jumped, hearing Buffy's voice behind her drew her from her thoughts, "You want some tea?" She asked, giving her a hug from behind, "You really need to get some sleep."

She gave her a weak smile, "Sorry, I haven't been able to get to sleep." She paused, stuffing Xander's shirt into her bag, "Tea would be good I think."

She was staying with Buffy for the night, her parents had done their best, and she didn't want to worry them further. Since she went out with Buffy every night to look for Xander and patrol she decided she would stay with her. Besides, she felt a lot safer and calmer with her blonde friend's presence. Without a word she rolled her downstairs, movie and popcorn were waiting for them to help make the evils of the world seem a little less all consuming and frightening. They had just settled down when there was a loud bang. The two girls jumped, rushing to the door.

The moment it was pulled open Willow gasped, hand going to her lips, "Jesse?"

***

 

Don't worry, there is more, I even already have it partially written out, you're just going to have to be patient. Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this part done for awhile but I've been working on school and working on a Supernatural fic which will be posted soon. I haven't forgotten this story and will be coming back to it.

            The last thing Jesse remembered was the feel of the stake plunging into his heart and the look of surprise and anguish on Xander's face as he turned to dust. He had woken up, clawing at the earth above him, struggling out of the ground. He didn't know what had happened, didn't know how he found himself in the middle of a field, sunlight streaming around him. All he knew was that he was alive, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his lungs struggling for breath as he sank his fingers into the grass and pulled himself from the ground and into the light. Something was wrong but he didn't care, he was happy to be alive, to be here, and he had to find his friends. Willow and Xander, he hoped they were alright. Slowly he looked around, the scenery was familiar, he was just outside of town, it wouldn't be hard to get to Willow's. He took a step forward, his bare foot crunching on a piece of paper. He immediately stopped, looking down to see what he stepped on. The paper was crumpled, writing in red stood out in sharp contrast, drawing his attention. Slowly he bent down and picked it up, looking at the words written in jagged writing, 'find Buffy'. The writing smeared after that, finger swipes through red, looking almost like blood. He moved forward, somehow knowing just where he needed to go. That's how he found himself on Buffy's porch, his hand poised to knock before finally falling to the wood, waiting for an answer, and that's how Willow found him, standing in the doorframe when Buffy opened the door.

            "Willow?" Her name was whispered like a prayer, he smiled slowly, "Oh my god Willow, I'm so happy to see you." He reached forward hesitantly, tears in his eyes, the note still clutched in his other hand.

            She took a step back, tears in her eyes, "Is this a trick?" She whispered softly, "You were dead, Jesse, you died."

            Buffy eyed him wearily, stepping back with Willow, if he was a vampire he wouldn't be able to come in, "I know, I thought I was dead." He swallowed hard, "I woke up in that field we used to play in, there was a note." He held it out to them, his hand crossing the threshold.

            Buffy took it from him, "If you're alive then you don't need an invitation." She stated, daring him to come inside.

            He took a step forward, crossing the threshold, "Willow, I was so scared." He took a hesitant step toward her, not wanting to scare her.

            She moved forward, embracing him tightly, crying softly into his shoulder, "Jesse, I'm so happy you're alright, that you're here."

            He hugged her in return, closing his eyes, "Me too." He said softly, "Me too."

            Buffy looked down at the paper, "Is this blood?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at it.

            "I don't know, it was there when I woke up. I didn't know what else to do but I knew I had to find you, I feel like I'm missing something important."

            Willow hugged him again, "We'll figure it out, I promise." She pulled back, letting out a little laugh, pulling back, "You're filthy."

            He smiled, laughing softly, "Yeah, I am." He paused, "Umm, what am I going to do now? How long has it been?"

            "Six weeks since you...died." Willow said softly, keeping a hand on his arm as though to make sure he didn't disappear.

            "Can I sit down?"

            Buffy motioned to the couch, "So, I'm not sure what we're going to do. I mean, Jesse is supposed to be dead, if he were to show up wouldn't people notice?"

            Willow shook her head, "Do you really think they'd notice? I swear, people here don't care." She took a seat beside him, "It's ok Jesse."

            He shook his head, looking down at his lap, "It's not, not really. I know things can't go back to the way they were but I know we can figure something out." He gave her a small smile, "I mean, it's not like they had a body or anything." He paused, "What was said?"

            "That you were a runaway." The red head's fingers dug into his arm slightly, "Maybe it would work..." She trailed off, looking thoughtful, "Maybe you could just come back." She smiled broadly, hugging him tight, "I'm so happy to see you."

            He returned her embrace, "Me too, Wills, me too." He closed his eyes, holding her close.

-Break-

            Angelus wasn't always the most patient of demons and waiting for the arrival of the bus carrying the so called 'Anointed One' definitely was trying what little he had. The Brethren of Aurelius were a quiet bunch, all pomp and ritual, he was suddenly glad he had never joined the Master's court. He watched as one of them stood firmly in the middle of the road, the bright lights of the bus illuminated his form, casting a long shadow behind. The smell of burning rubber permeated the air as the bus driver slammed on the breaks. Angelus smirked, striding forward as the bus skidded to a stop, jerking the door open and stepping up with a dark smile.

            "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I hope you've had a pleasant trip but I'm afraid it's coming to a rather sudden stop." He lashed out, grabbing the bus driver by the front of his shirt, jerking him forward and tossing him out the door into the waiting arms of the brethren. He laughed as the remaining six people on the bus panicked, a young woman held her young son close, pulling him toward the back of the bus, away from the vampire, "You can try to run, it just makes it that much more fun." He licked his lips, eyes locking on a larger man as he moved forward, "I think you'll do nicely as a decoy." The man swung at him, clipping his jaw, wringing a growl from the vampire as he retaliated with his own swing, the force slamming him into the seats, "Stay down." He growled, punching him again as one of the humans got the back emergency exit open, letting in another of the brethren.

            Angelus grabbed the mother of the boy, snapping her neck as she reached for her child, reached for the son that was quickly scooped up by the brethren. She crumpled to the ground, Angelus turning away and pulling the dazed man to his feet, smiling at him before driving his fangs into his throat and drinking deeply.

            "Welcome to the real world." He smirked, slitting his own wrist and holding it to the man's mouth, making him drink before pulling him from the bus and tossing him to the side, "I take it you've got the kid?" He questioned, looking at one of the brethren, when he nodded Angelus spoke, "Good, I have some things I need to get done." He stated, heading back to where he left Xander.

            The teen was still waiting for him, holding a pipe he had found in the tunnel. The moment Angelus came into sight he swung, the pipe making contact with his shoulder, knocking him into the wall. He growled lowly, eyes narrowed as he stalked forward. Xander shook as Angelus grabbed the pipe and jerking it from his fingers. The teen backed away, hitting the wall, his eyes glued on the vampire. The pipe clanged to the ground as the vampire tossed it away.

            "Did you really think that would work? I'm the only thing keeping you alive right now, you're not safe here."

            "I know I'm not! Why do you think I had the pipe?"

            He moved closer, nearly pressing his body to the human's, "And why did you swing at me?" His voice was low as his hand came up to wrap around his throat, "What possessed you to lash out at the only one who is protecting you? The only one who doesn't plan to kill you anytime in the near future."

            He gasped softly, "Because you're a vampire. You're one of them."

            A slow squeeze, just enough to cut off the sir, "I'm not one of them. Don't you dare lump me in with those...sycophants." Xander's fingers gripped at the hand around his throat, struggling for breath, "I suggest that you refrain from such things in the future." He released him, shoving him against the wall, "Let's go, we have to find a place to stay."

            He turned away, expecting the teen to follow. All through the walk out Xander stayed as close as he could, his eyes darting to the shadows where he knew other vampires were hiding. As they were on their way out, the brethren were on their way in. Xander's eyes were immediately drawn to what they were carrying with them, his eyes growing wide as he saw the boy one of them was holding. He lunged and Angelus lashed out, grabbing his arm as he fought to get closer, struggled to save the boy they were carrying.

            "Hey! Let him go!" He shouted, trying to jerk his arm away.

            "Shut up." Angelus hissed, pulling him into him close, "There's nothing you can do."

            "I can't let them hurt him! He's just a kid!" He struggled against the vampire's solid form.

            Angelus hissed lowly, his fingers closing around the teen's throat, "It's too late, he's already lost. You should worry more about yourself and what I'm going to do to you. I was thinking some nice thick chains and a leather whip, how does that sound to you?" His voice was a low menacing hiss.

            Xander's fingers gripped at his hand, attempting to loosen his grip, "S-Stop." He gasped.

            "We're leaving." He loosened his grip, shifting it to his arm instead, dragging him out of the tunnels.

            The moment they stepped into the night air the teen was released. He gasped for breath, rubbing his throat, "I think that'll leave a mark." His glare was focused on the vampire, dark eyes narrowed with pure loathing.

            Angelus raised an eyebrow, "Do you think I care? Your actions have consequences. If you defy me you get hurt, it's quite simple." Xander refused to reply, looking away. The vampire sighed, "Let's get going." He turned away, long strides driving him forward with Xander close behind.

-Break-

            Guilt weighed heavy on his conscience. He felt responsible for what happened to that boy. Those vampires had done something horrible, something unforgivable, and he had let them. He could have fought against Angelus harder, resisted even when threatened with whips and chains. He hadn't fought, the threat hit too close to home after what he had experienced at the hands of the Master's minions. If he closed his eyes he could still feel the bruises, the wounds, how much his body ached as he was hung from the beam in the warehouse. He hated feeling so weak and Angelus seemed to revel in his discomfort. Of course he couldn't be sure that Angelus wouldn't use whips and chains on him even though he complied. His thoughts whirled, his mind coming up with the worst possible scenarios. Bound and forced to scream for his captor's pleasure. He shuddered at the thought.

            "We're here." Angelus' voice brought him out of his thoughts, drawing his attention to an old mansion on the outskirts of town.

            Xander's eyes traveled over the decrepit house, taking in the peeling paint and slowly warping wood, "What are we doing here?"

            Angelus chuckled softly, "Our new home. Did you think I was going to keep you in the sewers with bat-face and his minions? I have more class than that, boy."

            "What are you going to do now?"

            The dark smirk that spread across the vampire's face made him swallow hard and take a step back, but it was the words that followed that made him want to turn tail and run, "Now, we're going to play a little game."

            Xander swallowed hard, "What kind of game?" He stood firm, his gaze fixed on the vampire.

            "Here's how it works. For each room that you clean I will give you one thing that you desire, within reason."

            He crossed his arms over his chest, "And if I refuse to play this little game?"

            A dark chuckle slipped past his lips, his eyes flashing gold, "Well, it wouldn't be a proper game without a penalty. Should you refuse to play, you will be hung from the ceiling and whipped, one lash for each hour you refuse to play." He paused, "If you do not clean to my specifications you will be hung up and whipped."

            "Sounds like I don't have a choice, I clean or you whip me."

            He shrugged, "It's your choice, clean or be whipped. Completely up to you."

            The teen could feel his stubbornness bubbling up, "Well, you can take your game and you can shove it up your..." The crack of flesh against flesh cut him off as his head snapped to the side.

            "I know what you were about to say, boy, don't you dare curse at me, ever." Angelus' eyes were golden in his anger, "It doesn't matter to me if you refuse the game, I get to have my fun either way."

            Xander's fingers touched his cheek, looking belligerent and angry, his gaze locked on the golden eyes, "I'm not playing your game."

            "Very well." He grabbed his arm, pulling him forward and into a large open room, "This shall be your new home for while." He pulled out a thick pair of chains.

            "Where did those come from?" He hissed, struggling against his grasp.

            "I'm always prepared." He chuckled darkly, pointing to a large duffle bag, "I snagged it from old bat face." In one smooth move he tossed an end over a large beam, quickly snapping them around his wrists, "I need to get some things installed to make this go smoother. This will have to do for now." Xander's feet barely touched the floor, his arms taut above his head, "Comfortable?" He paused, as if waiting for an answer, "Good, we can get started."

            Angelus was silent as he went over to the bag, looking through the objects within. Xander attempted to look, trying to turn in his bonds, to catch a glimpse of what Angelus was doing. The vampire stood, turning to face the teen with a long blade in hand, it gleamed in the low light. Xander's eyes grew wide as he caught sight of the blade, his chocolate eyes locked on the sharp implement. Angelus smirked, moving forward, shifting the blade in his hand, twisting it to the side so that it caught the light. Not a word escaped his lips as he drew closer, watching as the teen tried to back away, tugging at the chains that held him. The blade slid into the collar of Xander's borrowed shirt, splitting it down the back. His back was revealed, an open canvas for his work. The skin was unblemished, even after the torture he had received from the Master's minions.

            "A fresh canvas, just for me to draw on, to create my art. Of course I had to ruin a perfectly good shirt to get to it but I think it's worth it."

            Xander's eyes were narrowed to slits, his gaze focused on the vampire and the blade in his hand, "And here I thought you said whipping, not cutting me up."

            "Who said I was going to use this on you?" He paused, "I don't think I ruled out the blade, I never said I wouldn't use it on you." He put the blade aside, "I'm not going to use it on you today, or at least at this moment. I think a whip will be sufficient at this time." He returned to the bag, his fingers wrapping around the handle of a black, braided leather bull whip, "Perhaps more than sufficient." He gave it a hard crack, the sound echoing through the room.

            Xander tensed, gripping at his chains, holding tight to the links as Angelus cracked the whip once more, "Are you going to hit me or not?" His voice came out a little high, betraying his fear.

            "So eager to feel the whip?" He raised an eyebrow, "Very well." He swung back, the whip cracking down, slashing across the unblemished skin of his back.

The teen's eyes widened, his back arching away from the strike. He jerked, tugging at his bonds as the whip sliced down again. A loud keen escaped his throat as he tossed his head back, writhing under the whip. He tensed with every whistle through the air, cried out with every strike. Angelus laughed, purring lowly at the sounds of pain that escaped Xander's lips. He brought it down a final time, watching as the teen went limp in his bonds, tears streaked down his cheeks. There was blood, the last few had cut into his skin leaving streaks of red to trickle down his back. With a flick of his wrist he tossed the whip aside, his fingers moving to touch his back, to examine his wounds. He whimpered lowly as Angelus' fingers were coated in blood, as he slowly probed the wounds. He itched to taste the blood, to feel it on his tongue. Without a thought his fingers touched his lips, his tongue flicking out to taste the boy, his boy. He barely held back a groan, the taste exploded across his tongue, dark chocolate with a hint of cinnamon.

            "I could get used to this." He purred, chuckling darkly, "You taste amazing." His fingers traced the wounds again, "You get to hang here for a time and think about what you've done and about your participation in the game."

-Break-

            The soft hum of words echoed through the night, dancing through the forest, through the trees. Figures cloaked in black circled the glow of flames colored blue. One of them approached the fire, tossing their hood back. A young man stood there, his dark hair catching the blue from the flames. His skin was pale and his eyes were amber, wolf eyes.

            "On this night we give thanks to our mother, to the soft light that she gives to us. We ask for her blessing, we ask for her guidance." He spread his hands out, standing close to the fire, "Mother of the wilds, of the night, of the wolves and the creatures that roam beneath the moon's light, we ask for your protection on this night."

A howl pierced he night, the circle of seven tossing their head back and joining in, raising their voices in reply. The young man by the fire brought his right hand forward, holding it over the flames, letting the heat spread around his fingers. The other six moved forward, each putting their right hand into the flames. The seven howled again, hoods falling back the flames illuminating the group of males, amber wolf eyes turned to the moon.

-Break-

            The Master was at a loss. For the first time in his long existence he was unsure. There were rumors, whispers among the minions about wolves and spirit worshipers. This was a problem, a very large problem, or at the very least had the potential to become one. The wolf and the moon were linked in mythologies, werewolves and wolf shifters tended to worship the moon or have some form of bond with it. He never cared much for the beasts, they were uncontrollable, and caused havoc. At least that was the case with werewolves. The shifters were more refined but just as uncontrollable. They were proud and refused to bow to anyone but the spirits and each other. If they were here then they had a plan and, in his opinion, it could only interfere with his own. He needed to put a stop to it, to them. He closed his eyes before turning his gaze toward the boy he had acquired, The Anointed One.

            "Spirits inhabit our world, they are not like us. They grant certain, boons, to those who call upon them. We have an...infestation, that needs to be dealt with." He gazed down at the boy, "Wolves, an infestation of mongrels bent on their own whims and desires. We need to remove them."

            "How does one remove a spirit?"

            "The wolves are what need to be removed." He stated, "We can't remove the spirits, they do not effect the world in the same way we do, they are not actually present."

            "But, we can remove the wolves."

            The Master nodded, "Yes, we need to remove the wolves."

            "How?"

            Long fingers moved over a thick book, stroking the leather tome before opening it, "They are blessed by the spirits, there is a gem that is said to temporarily remove the protections they may have in place. After that they might as well be human. They may be able to take animal form but still human."

            "They can be killed like humans."

-Break-

            He stood in front of the library doors, waiting for the Slayer and her friends to arrive. He closed his eyes, taking a deep, slow breath, this was his only hope, his only chance of keeping his group alive. The Slayer had no reason to help him, to help his pack, but he had to try. He took a deep breath, pushing open the door. Three teens stood huddled around one of the long tables, the librarian was off to the side, a book in hand. They were so focused on what they were doing that they didn't notice him come in. The young man was the first to notice him standing there awkwardly.

            "Giles, someone's here, he looks lost." He smiled, trying to put the young man at ease.

            The older man quickly shut his book, looking over at the newcomer, "I'm terribly sorry, is there something I can help you with?"

            "I certainly hope so." He smiled grimly, "In honor of our Lady of the Moon and in supplication to the night I come requesting your assistance in a matter of grave importance." He dropped to a knee, "We are going to be slaughtered and are in need of help."

            His words fully drew the attention of the two girls who looked up from their book to take in the man kneeling on the library floor, "Uh, what?" The blonde looked at him blankly, blinking at him.

            His hand clenched, head bowed, he felt profoundly offended that she would respond to his cry for help in such a manner, "Please, do not make me repeat myself." His voice came out as a strained whisper.

            It was the librarian who spoke next, "In honor of the spirits that guard our world and the work that you do to protect and honor them we will do everything in our power to help you." He laid a hand gently on his shoulder before offering him his right hand, palm up.

            He took it, allowing the older man to pull him up, "We have been forcibly cut off from our mother, the Lady of the Moon. Someone plans to kill us."

            "Could someone please explain what's going on? I'm sorry, but this is making absolutely no sense to me." The blonde crossed her arms over her chest.

            The Watcher sighed, "This young man is a shifter, a follower of the spirits, the wolf spirit in particular. He is in service to the spirit of the moon. May I ask your name, young man?"

            "You may call me Asher."

            "I'm Buffy, this is Willow, Jesse, and Giles." The blonde spoke, smiling at him.

            "It's a pleasure to meet you and I'm pleased that you are willing to help us. My group has been targeted in the past but they have never gone so far as to cut us off from the spirits."

            "Do you know who or why?" Buffy asked, perching on the edge of the table.

He wasn't sure about the blonde Slayer, her change of attitude. Perhaps she knew more than she let on, "We do not know who, as to the why, it is common for demons to feel threatened by us. They are not a natural part of the world and we work to maintain nature and the world around us. Demons find us threatening, while we are not against them, per say, when they threaten our world we must take action." He paused, "Our place in the world can be rather confusing to outsiders at times."

            "Can you really change shape?" Willow asked, finally speaking, her voice soft.

            He nodded, "Yes."

            "What does it mean to be cut off from the spirits?"

            "We can still change form, however we no longer have the protection afforded to us by the spirits. While we have the spirits' blessing we are neigh on immortal. Demons cannot cause us permanent harm. In losing the protection we are rendered mortal. We are not immortal by any stretch and we can still die while under protection, however we are afforded certain protections against demons and their ilk. That is how we know it is demons who have cut us off from the spirits."

            "There are certain rituals that can cut off practitioners from the spirits, I have heard mention of ones to reverse it as well. The problem is that it cannot be performed by the affected party. The other possible set back is we must discover who the caster is in order to undo the ritual." Giles paused, "Where are the other members of your group?"

            "We are in hiding, although I'm not sure how long it will last. There are seven of us in total. Because of our link with the spirits we are nomadic, this makes it...difficult with regards to vampires. We have no sense of ownership so if vampires are involved they can get to us easily enough." Asher paused, "We have been moving as often as we can but it will not last forever and we cannot leave Sunnydale until our connection has been restored."

            Giles sighed softly, "We will have to work fast, especially with regards to keeping all of you safe. I am unsure if we have enough space to house all of you together. My home is small but two of you could stay with me."

            "I'm sure we can work something out, we have a spare room and a couch but I need to talk to my mom first." Buffy's eyes were locked on the shapeshifter as she spoke.

            "We are in your debt. We will do whatever is necessary to assist you." He bowed low, "Thank you for being willing to assist us, especially on such short notice."

            "So, Asher, I think it would be easier to convince my mom if you came with me." She smiled, "She's pretty open to letting my friends stay."


End file.
